10 Classic Cocktails You Should Know How to Make – SoCal Wine & Spirits
SoCal Wine & Spirits · Cocktail Guide

10 Classic Cocktails
You Should Know
How to Make

Easy recipes and spirit recommendations for timeless cocktails every home bartender should have in their repertoire — no shortcuts, no substitutes.

By the SoCal Spirits Team 12 min read Cocktail Recipes Beginner Friendly
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Every great home bartender has a short list of cocktails they can make perfectly, consistently, without looking anything up. These aren't tricks or showpieces — they're the ten drinks that defined cocktail culture, have been ordered millions of times, and remain the benchmark against which every bar is quietly judged.

Learn these ten and you'll never be caught short at a dinner party again. Each recipe here is the classic version — the one bartenders have been making for over a century. Master the original before you riff on it. Every spirit we recommend is available at SoCal Wine & Spirits in Tustin.

✦
10
Classic Recipes
5
Base Spirits Needed
~15
Minutes to Learn Each
∞
Occasions to Use Them
Jump to Cocktail
01 Old Fashioned 02 Martini 03 Negroni 04 Margarita 05 Daiquiri 06 Manhattan 07 Whisky Sour 08 Mojito 09 Espresso Martini 10 Aperol Spritz
Old Fashioned
01
Spirit-Forward Classic

Old Fashioned

Bourbon · Bitters · Sugar · Stirred

The Old Fashioned predates every other cocktail on this list. It is, by definition, the original cocktail — spirit, sugar, water, bitters. Nothing is hidden, nothing is masked. Make it right and it is one of the most satisfying drinks ever created.

The RecipeBourbon / Rye
  • 2ozBourbon or Rye — Buffalo Trace or Rittenhouse
  • 1 tspDemerara sugar or 1 sugar cube
  • 2 dashesAngostura bitters
  • 1 dashOrange bitters (optional)
  • 1Large ice sphere or cube
  • 1Orange peel, for expressing
Build in glass. Add sugar and bitters, muddle briefly. Add whiskey and ice. Stir 20–25 rotations. Express orange peel over glass, run around rim, drop in.
  • Use demerara syrup (2:1) instead of a sugar cube — dissolves completely, no grittiness
  • Try rye for a drier, spicier version — the original pre-Prohibition recipe
  • Never add soda water — that's Wisconsin style, not the classic
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Classic Martini
02
Spirit-Forward Classic

Classic Martini

Gin · Dry Vermouth · Stirred

The Martini is a litmus test. Order one in a bar and watch what happens — the answer tells you everything about the bartender and the establishment. The classic is stirred, not shaken, with London Dry gin and dry vermouth.

The RecipeGin
  • 2.5ozLondon Dry Gin — Tanqueray or Beefeater
  • 0.5ozDry Vermouth — Dolin or Noilly Prat
  • 2 dashesOrange bitters (optional)
  • 1Lemon twist or Castelvetrano olive
Stir gin and vermouth over ice 40 rotations. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express lemon twist and drop in, or add olive.
  • Chill your glass in the freezer for 5 minutes — temperature is everything
  • Stir, don't shake — shaking bruises the gin and adds ice chips
  • Refrigerate vermouth after opening and use within 3 weeks — oxidised vermouth ruins the drink
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Negroni
03
Equal Parts Classic

Negroni

Gin · Campari · Sweet Vermouth · Stirred

The Negroni is the most elegant cocktail ever invented. Three ingredients in equal parts — gin, Campari, sweet vermouth — produce something far greater than the sum of its parts. It is bitter, sweet, herbal, and complex.

The RecipeGin + Campari
  • 1ozLondon Dry Gin — Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire
  • 1ozCampari
  • 1ozSweet Vermouth — Carpano Antica or Cocchi Torino
  • 1Large ice cube
  • 1Orange peel or half-wheel
Combine all three over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Stir 20 rotations. Express orange peel over the glass, run around rim, and place on top.
  • Carpano Antica Formula is the best sweet vermouth for a Negroni — richer, more complex
  • Boulevardier: swap gin for bourbon — one of the greatest variations ever made
  • Batch Negronis 1:1:1 in a bottle, refrigerate, serve over ice — perfect for parties
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Margarita
04
Citrus Classic

Margarita

Tequila · Cointreau · Fresh Lime · Shaken

A great Margarita is one of the most refreshing drinks in existence. A bad one — made with sour mix and cheap triple sec — is one of the worst. The difference is entirely in the ingredients. Fresh lime juice, quality tequila, and real Cointreau.

The RecipeTequila
  • 2ozBlanco Tequila — Espolòn or Olmeca Altos
  • 0.75ozCointreau or Grand Marnier
  • 0.75ozFresh lime juice — squeezed same day
  • 0.5ozAgave syrup (optional)
  • Kosher saltFor half the rim only
Salt half the rim. Shake all ingredients with ice 10 seconds. Double strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
  • Always fresh lime juice — bottled lime juice ruins this drink completely
  • Half-rim the salt so drinkers can choose their salt level sip by sip
  • Spicy Margarita: muddle 2 jalapeño slices before shaking — the most requested variation
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Daiquiri
05
Citrus Classic

Daiquiri

White Rum · Fresh Lime · Sugar · Shaken

The Daiquiri is the most misunderstood cocktail on this list. The classic is three ingredients, perfectly balanced, served straight up in a chilled coupe. It is one of the most precise and beautiful drinks ever made.

The RecipeWhite Rum
  • 2ozWhite Rum — Bacardí Superior or Plantation 3 Stars
  • 0.75ozFresh lime juice
  • 0.75ozSimple syrup — rich 2:1 for best result
Combine all in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously 12 seconds. Double strain (Hawthorne + fine mesh) into a chilled coupe. No garnish needed — the clarity is the presentation.
  • Double strain every time — the fine mesh removes all ice chips for a silky, clear drink
  • Hemingway Daiquiri: add 0.5oz grapefruit juice and 0.25oz Maraschino
  • Adjust ratio to your lime — sweeter limes need less syrup; tart limes need more
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Manhattan
06
Spirit-Forward Classic

Manhattan

Rye or Bourbon · Sweet Vermouth · Stirred

The Manhattan is where whiskey drinking becomes genuinely sophisticated. Made with rye it's dry, complex, and historically correct. Made with bourbon it's sweeter and more approachable. Either way, it is the cocktail that defines the serious home bartender.

The RecipeRye / Bourbon
  • 2ozRye Whiskey — Rittenhouse 100 (or Bourbon)
  • 1ozSweet Vermouth — Carpano Antica Formula
  • 2 dashesAngostura bitters
  • 1 dashOrange bitters
  • 1Luxardo Maraschino cherry
Combine whiskey, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass over large ice. Stir 40 rotations. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora. Drop in a Luxardo cherry.
  • Carpano Antica Formula is not optional — it defines the Manhattan
  • Rye gives a drier, spicier Manhattan (the original); bourbon gives a sweeter version
  • Black Manhattan: replace vermouth with Averna amaro — darker, more bitter, extraordinary
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Whisky Sour
07
Sour Classic

Whisky Sour

Bourbon · Lemon · Sugar · Egg White · Shaken

The Whisky Sour is the cocktail that teaches you to dry shake. Properly made — with fresh lemon juice, a proper ratio, and a dry shake for the egg white foam — it is one of the most texturally satisfying drinks in existence.

The RecipeBourbon
  • 2ozBourbon — Woodford Reserve or Maker's Mark
  • 0.75ozFresh lemon juice
  • 0.75ozSimple syrup
  • 1Egg white (or 1oz aquafaba)
  • 2 dashesAngostura bitters, on foam
Dry shake (no ice) all ingredients 15 seconds. Add ice, shake hard 10 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube. Dot Angostura on the foam.
  • Dry shake first — builds foam structure before ice interrupts emulsification
  • Angostura dots on the foam add aromatic complexity to every sip
  • New York Sour: float 0.5oz red wine on top — visually stunning
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Mojito
08
Built Classic

Mojito

White Rum · Lime · Mint · Sugar · Club Soda

The Mojito is the cocktail that gets made badly more than any other. The failures are always the same: too much muddling, not enough mint, flat soda. Made correctly — gentle, cold, fizzing with fresh mint — it is one of the great pleasures of summer drinking.

The RecipeWhite Rum
  • 2ozWhite Rum — Bacardí Superior or Havana Club 3yr
  • 0.75ozFresh lime juice
  • 0.75ozSimple syrup
  • 8-10Fresh mint leaves
  • 2ozChilled club soda
  • GarnishMint sprig + lime wheel
Add mint and syrup to a highball glass. Press gently twice with muddler. Add lime juice, rum, crushed ice. Top with chilled club soda. Stir once. Slap a fresh mint sprig and place on top.
  • Muddle gently — two presses maximum; over-muddling turns the drink bitter
  • Slap the garnish mint sprig between palms just before placing — activates the aromatics
  • Use crushed ice if possible — it chills faster and suits the relaxed character of the drink
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Espresso Martini
09
Modern Classic

Espresso Martini

Vodka · Fresh Espresso · Coffee Liqueur · Shaken

Invented in London in 1983 for a model who asked for something to wake her up, the Espresso Martini became the defining drink of the cocktail renaissance. Made with fresh espresso and Mr Black, it remains one of the most crowd-pleasing cocktails in existence.

The RecipeVodka
  • 1.5ozVodka — Ketel One or Grey Goose
  • 1ozFresh espresso — cooled slightly
  • 0.75ozCoffee liqueur — Mr Black or Kahlúa
  • 0.25ozSimple syrup (optional)
  • 3Coffee beans, for garnish
Combine all ingredients with ice. Shake very hard 15 seconds — maximum foam. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Three coffee beans on the foam.
  • Fresh espresso is non-negotiable — cold brew cannot replicate the crema for foam
  • Mr Black is significantly better than Kahlúa — less sweet, more coffee intensity
  • Shake harder and longer than any other cocktail — foam only forms with maximum agitation
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Aperol Spritz
10
Modern Classic

Aperol Spritz

Aperol · Prosecco · Club Soda · Built

The Aperol Spritz is the most successful new classic of the 21st century. It works because it is light, slightly bitter, and endlessly refreshing. The recipe is a ratio — 3-2-1 — and the ratio is everything.

The RecipeAperol
  • 3 partsProsecco — chilled
  • 2 partsAperol
  • 1 partClub soda — chilled
  • 1 largeIce cube or cubes
  • 1 sliceFresh orange
Fill a large wine glass with ice. Pour Prosecco first, then Aperol, then a splash of soda. Stir once gently. Garnish with a fresh orange slice. Serve immediately.
  • 3-2-1 ratio: Prosecco, Aperol, soda — the official formula, don't deviate
  • Add Prosecco first — prevents Aperol sinking and means less stirring (which kills bubbles)
  • Campari Spritz: swap Aperol for Campari — more bitter, more sophisticated
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✦

The Four Core Techniques

Every cocktail on this list uses one of these four methods. Master them and you can make anything.

Technique 01
Stirring

For spirit-only cocktails (Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, Old Fashioned). 40 rotations over large ice. Chills and dilutes without aerating — preserves the silky, crystal-clear texture.

Technique 02
Shaking

For anything containing citrus, cream, egg, or juice (Daiquiri, Margarita, Sour). 10–12 seconds over ice. Chills, dilutes, and aerates simultaneously — creates texture and integration.

Technique 03
Building

For carbonated drinks (Mojito, Spritz, Highball). Ingredients added directly to the glass over ice, in order. Add carbonated elements last and stir once gently to preserve bubbles.

Technique 04
Dry Shaking

For egg white cocktails (Whisky Sour). Shake without ice first for 15 seconds to build foam structure, then reshake with ice. The foam is not decoration — it is part of the drink.

Technique 05
Double Straining

Hawthorne strainer over the shaker + fine mesh held below. Removes all ice chips and fruit fibre for a perfectly clear, silky cocktail. Use on every shaken drink.

Technique 06
Expressing a Peel

Hold citrus peel skin-side down over the glass and squeeze sharply. Aromatic oils spray across the surface. Run the peel around the rim before dropping in. Transforms the first sip completely.

The 4 Tools You Actually Need

Every cocktail on this list can be made with just four tools. No more, no less.

01
Cocktail Shaker

Boston tin set (professional) or cobbler shaker (beginner). The single most important purchase — every shaken recipe requires it.

→ Daiquiri, Margarita, Whisky Sour, Espresso Martini
02
Mixing Glass + Bar Spoon

Yarai glass or any tall glass + twisted bar spoon. Essential for stirred cocktails — the technique determines whether the result is silky or clunky.

→ Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, Old Fashioned
03
Jigger

Double-sided 1.5oz / 1oz measure. Consistency is the difference between a great cocktail and a variable one. Always measure, every time, without exception.

→ Every cocktail on this list
04
Hawthorne Strainer

Spring-coiled strainer that fits over the shaker. Pair with fine mesh for double straining. Produces a perfectly clear, chip-free cocktail every time.

→ Daiquiri, Martini, Manhattan, all shaken drinks
Learn ten cocktails properly and you know more than most bartenders who've learned a hundred badly.
— SoCal Wine & Spirits, Tustin CA
SoCal Wine & Spirits · Tustin, California

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Everything You Need to Make All Ten

Every spirit, liqueur, and modifier for all ten cocktails — available in-store in Tustin or online.

Shop Cocktail Spirits ↗ Bar Tools & Mixers